[mohitchalla]

The Indian automobile scene is exploding and customers now have more choices than ever. While most of the modern car trends and features are great, few things need some rethinking in my opinion. So let me jump right into it.

1. Oversized wheels

Big wheels are one of the most sought-after features/specs in modern cars. Manufacturers have realized this and are pushing big wheels in cars that do not necessarily need them. While big wheels look nicer and offer marginally better high-speed performance, there is a noticeable loss in the ride quality. Moreover, the replacement cost for the tyres increases significantly with bigger wheels.

The 4x2 Fortuner gets 17" wheels while the 4x4 variant gets 18". The off-roading variant should get the smaller wheels with thicker sidewalls. I believe the new Thar is also sold with this silly specification. Manufacturers should offer choices in wheel sizes to the customers.

2. Lights

Most modern cars come equipped with LEDs, projectors, etc. I agree that they do look good and have higher reliability and longer life than the traditional halogen lamps with reflectors, but they also cost more. I miss being able to upgrade the wiring harness and use the more powerful 100/90 or 130/100 H4 lamps. Even today, they out-perform any modern projector or LED setup and cost way less.

***Disclaimer*** I am not advocating using a high beam on the oncoming traffic. The upgrades mentioned are solely for user-friendliness and performance on dark and empty roads.

3. Independent rear suspension (or the lack thereof)

Back in the day, cars like the Suzuki Esteem, Suzuki Baleno (old sedan version), Mitsubishi Lancer and Hyundai Accent were equipped with independent rear suspensions. Today, this is reserved only for super-expensive cars. With roads full of potholes and ride quality being an important factor for most users, this is something that needs to be brought back. Glad to see that the Mahindra XUV 500 still has this setup and I hope that they would retain this in the next generation as well.

I understand that the torsion beam is cheaper and simpler to manufacture and maintain, but is the cost difference really so huge?

4. Turbo petrol

Turbos add complexity and come with higher costs - upfront and maintenance. A smaller engine churning out more power and torque does not make a good case for the longevity of the engine. All that for slightly improved low-end performance?

I just wish that eventually, the turbos should not kill the naturally aspirated engines. As long as they are sold side-by-side, I will be happy.

Conclusion

Do you agree or disagree with me? Why? Let me know in your replies to this thread.

This is my first time posting a thread. I am looking forward to constructive feedback on improving my writing. Wishing you happy and safe driving. Cheers!

[haisaikat]

Thanks for starting this thread.

I will add few more trends to this list :-

1. Automatic Gearbox - Manufacturers have one one hand understood (most of them, if not all) the importance of this conveinince factor in modern 4 wheelers so much so that some car OEMs are offering 15+ variants with different automatic gearbox options (TC vs DCT, etc) for the same model (eg: Kia Seltos) and their success is also seen first hand. On the other hand even though automatics have come a long way in terms of FE the common mentality for premium hatch onwards have come a liitle beyond just FE in judging a car which is good for the market.

2. Sunroof - Someone once said on this forum, Indians will accept a car withoit engine or tyres but not without a sunroof and this trend is also a good marketing success in recent years. 10 / 12 years back there were no takers for the i10 top model that came with optional sunroof on the top model. Nowadays this is different

3. Crossovers over Sedans - This needs no additional discussion, our nomadic mindset has nurtured this added to the good development of highways and roads in last decade.

[Akshay6988]

Originally Posted by mohitchalla

2. Lights

Most modern cars come equipped with LEDs..

Among all the good modern car trends, this one has to be worst. These LED headlights are as good as driving with two torches attached to the front of the car ! Seriously manufacturers should spend that R&D budget in this LED headlights implementation and not on the funky gadgets (looking at you Hyundai and Kia). Sure they look great than conventional but what's the use of it if you can't see the road infront of you! Authorities should step in and curb this menace of LED headlights. Rant over, a frustrated Creta owner.

[Sanidhya mukund]

For me, the best new trend is safety. While we still do have some cars that are far from being called safe, there is no denying that cars are much, much safer than cars from 2 decades ago. Even an Alto can now be purchased with 2 airbags. Also, most cars are now being built with various crash test regulations in mind. Not very long ago, safety features were only reserved fo top variants and luxury cars.



Next up, engines are now getting much more silent and fuel efficient. My 20 year old Ford Ikon has a 1.3 Endura-E engine. Despite being a petrol, it has a very diesel like clatter. A modern day Ecosport on the other hand, barely makes any noise while idling.
Then there’s exhaust fumes. Cars nowadays are wayyy cleaner and way less dangerous for the environment. The ever evolving emission norms and EV adoption have ensured that motoring is less taxing on the environment than before.


Nowadays cars are also being built better. Gone are the days when the brand new Amby went straight to the weld shop after purchase and the 118 NE broke down right in front of the dealership. Speaking of dealerships, they have also gotten infinitely better. Rather than driving them from the stockyards to the delivery bays, dealerships now transport them in large trucks. Thanks to increasing competition, most manufacturers now have professionally run, technologically managed and well fitted, premium looking dealerships.

However, there are some trends that are absolutely terrible! The first gen Santro and WagonR had adjustable headrests even in the rear. So did the Alto of that vintage. Today, these cars and most other budget cars don’t even get front adjustable headrests!
Also, I just hate the fact that cars nowadays are being offered with very few colour options. Very few cars now have black as an option. Most cars only have white, grey, silver and maybe a boring shade of maroon. I also don’t like the fact that cars are getting unnecessarily large and complicated. The cuts and creases in the design also tend to lead to very poor visibility.

[Totoro11]

Originally Posted by mohitchalla

1. Oversized wheels
Big wheels are one of the most sought-after features/specs in modern cars.

2. Lights
LEDs, projectors, etc. I agree that they do look good and have higher reliability and longer life than the traditional halogen lamps with reflectors,

4. Turbo petrol
Turbos add complexity and come with higher costs - upfront and maintenance.

1. Clear case of looks being more important than sensibility

2. LEDs are here to stay and no grudges against them. Of course they can be made better.

4. If you go for a higher variant, even for the features & add-ons, you are bound to be stuck with a Turbo (I'm looking at you, Kia GTX). This definitely needs to change.

Originally Posted by haisaikat

1. Automatic Gearbox - On the other hand even though automatics have come a long way in terms of FE the common mentality for premium hatch onwards have come a liitle beyond just FE

2. Sunroof - Someone once said on this forum, Indians will accept a car without engine or tyres but not without a sunroof.

1.AT One step forward in convenience, two steps backwards in FE & environmental sustainability. Rising fuel prices are complicating matters further. iMT can be a good middle path.

2.Sunroof- you should either get a panoramic one or none at all. The one foot long sunroofs do no favor to the front or rear passengers.

Adding a point from my side:
Rear Profiles on C-SUVs - if you are aspiring to look like an SUV, dont make a rear like a hatchback. Case in point: Venue, Sonet. Put some height, add some bulk or atleast put the spare tyre on the back door. Ecosport is the only CSUV in my opinion that has an SUV-ish rear profile.

[TrackDay]

Lack Of Video Recording (The Bad):

I am surprised that even to this day this option is missing on cars from the factory despite cars having even up to 4 cameras. How much more will it cost them to record that data ? This is a serious lacking in terms of 'Trends', and manufacturers need to give it as soon as possible. Besides I feel integrated dashcams will any day be better than getting them fixed in the aftermarket.

Taller cars in General (The Good):

Now I am not talking about the SUVs and Cross overs, but about hatchbacks and sedans. They are no longer low slung and seems to be on a taller stance. For example, the Zen and Esteem feel super low compared to the Swift and Ciaz. This is a good thing as far as passenger comfort goes

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by mohitchalla

Lights

Most modern cars come equipped with LEDs, projectors, etc. I agree that they do look good and have higher reliability and longer life than the traditional halogen lamps with reflectors, but they also cost more. I miss being able to upgrade the wiring harness and use the more powerful 100/90 or 130/100 H4 lamps. Even today, they out-perform any modern projector or LED setup and cost way less.

Few of my friends did upgrade to a higher wattage bulb with relays, but, the headlamp console over time started to fade because of heat. In one car, the bulb holder cracked, in another, the headlamp assembly has simply faded.

The heat generated by these high wattage bulbs is too much for the headlamp assembly to handle leading to discoloration / breakage and with time, the illumination is not even as good as the stock 60/55W headlamp.

I know few of guys here have high wattage bulbs and is working okay for you, but that is not the case for all.

Coming to LED's on normal cars / SUV's, apart from fog and in rains, I find them on par with projector beams or headlamps with good illumination. Haven't had the fortune to drive an expensive German at night but they illuminate better than the run of the mill LED's. Hope it will trickle down to mainstream cars / SUV's as well.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by mohitchalla

3. Independent rear suspension (or the lack thereof)

Back in the day, cars like the Suzuki Esteem, Suzuki Baleno (old sedan version), Mitsubishi Lancer and Hyundai Accent were equipped with independent rear suspensions. Today, this is reserved only for super-expensive cars. With roads full of potholes and ride quality being an important factor for most users, this is something that needs to be brought back. Glad to see that the Mahindra XUV 500 still has this setup and I hope that they would retain this in the next generation as well.

I understand that the torsion beam is cheaper and simpler to manufacture and maintain, but is the cost difference really so huge?

Those who have driven those older sedans on uneven roads would know the difference - the road grip is phenomenal.

Yes the reason for not having it is cost for manufacturing as well as for maintenance, they are expensive when it gets worn out.

Why XUV has it is because of its shape,sloping rear end - it needs this suspension to create more space in the 3rd row for the passenger's legs.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by mohitchalla

4. Turbo petrol
Turbos add complexity and come with higher costs - upfront and maintenance. A smaller engine churning out more power and torque does not make a good case for the longevity of the engine. All that for slightly improved low-end performance?

The other points are more or less subjective or directly related to cost points moving up (e.g. Independent Rear Suspensions are still available in plenty of cars, just that those cars have become quite expensive; this is is aligned with the overall increase in the car costs over last 20 years). However, I do not agree with this point about turbopetrols.

Turbopetrols are the best things that have happened to cars. And they are now becoming available at cheaper and cheaper price points (1.0 Turbopetrols for example), which is a huge welcome change!

They are technologically and performance wise superior to older engines. And it is a myth that they are problematic/high cost to maintain. Out of all the issues we hear on the new cars, how many issues are related to engines, and out of that, how many are specific to turbopetrols? Very few and almost none, respectively, in my view. In fact, engines as such are becoming more and more reliable (to the point that mathematically they are as reliable as any engineering system can get), and turbopetrols or not, engines require no special maintenance (other than routine oil changes). Turbopetrols are fast, fun, reliable and can make even a boring car fun to drive!

Originally Posted by TrackDay

Lack Of Video Recording (The Bad):
I am surprised that even to this day this option is missing on cars from the factory despite cars having even up to 4 cameras. How much more will it cost them to record that data ? This is a serious lacking in terms of 'Trends', and manufacturers need to give it as soon as possible. Besides I feel integrated dashcams will any day be better than getting them fixed in the aftermarket.

I do not think this has anything to do with cost cutting. This is a legal and regulatory problem. The legal framework for storing videos, and handling related data privacy issues are not clear. There is no clear regulatory guideline mandating how manufacturers can store video data of public places, what data privacy norms they need to adhere to, and what usage policy applies on that data. Even when we as an individuals use such data, there are privacy norms, but as an individual, one can be forgiven. But certainly not if the same is done by a large corporation in a systematic way. This is the reason we do not see OEM dashcams installed from factory in any car yet.

[JoshMachine]

Adding a few more, some headed in right direction while some aren't:-

- Vehicular safety/Advanced driver assist systems: surely the right thing to do for increased safety

- Vehicular connectivity/Telematics: again a step in the right direction but for it to fully realize the potential (read: better accident analysis, reduced insurance premiums etc.), more manufacturers need to embrace it

- In-car tech/Wireless charging: for me, this is really not a priority. The technology is just there, and being used for the sake of it

- EV: this is by far the most important "trend" in the India ecosystem. Hopefully, with infra getting better, adoption will increase

[gotoguru]

Lights: There has to be a strict standardization of lights by the OEM based on the government rules and any upgradation should be rendered next to impossible. When the lights are upgraded and even when kept on low beam are a health hazard to the oncoming drivers who are exposed to those on a regular basis.

Suspension: Independent rear suspension are to be offered by manufacturers either as an optional pack, if they could not fit the same in the costing of their regular models. For the type of roads we have, independent rear suspension would definitely be a boon.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by TrackDay

Besides I feel integrated dashcams will any day be better than getting them fixed in the aftermarket.

I'm not sure if legally it is allowed to record everything on road. If there is a restriction, this may be one reason for manufacturers not providing drive recorders as standard feature.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Sheel

I know few of guys here have high wattage bulbs and is working okay for you, but that is not the case for all.

I am one of them and I am using 100/90 for both my cars and clocked more than 2L km on both. And I am still on stock reflectors.

A LOT depends on the quality and make of the reflector along with the brand of kit you have used and finally how well grounded your cabling is for both the bulbs. The biggest reason for overheating of bulbs and cracking of holders is bad grounding. One needs to scratch off the paint and properly torque the ground points and they will ensure that the reflectors will last forever. The jugaad install by the corner-shop accessories shop is what kills it.

I have seen perfectly normal cars with stock bulbs fade within 3 years and become yellow and foggy but that is specific to certain car brands.

And yes, I mostly drive on low beams all the times and high beams are used only for quick assessment and get back to lows but that's 10w lesser than high beams anyway unlike 130/100 or 130/90 type bulbs.

[condor]

LED's: No, not at 6000k.
If you ever have a doubt, do check out and compare the visibility with different color temperatures.

Today, the old Sodium Vapour type bulbs are rare. But here on the Bangalore hassan highway, there is one section, a flyover, where the orangish light is used for street lighting. The clarity on that section is far far better than sections with white light.

2. DRL- a Big No for our driving conditions. They are not needed at all. Another poor decision by the concerned person/people.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by condor

[b]2. DRL- a Big No for our driving conditions. They are not needed at all. Another poor decision by the concerned person/people.

I would say YES for DRLs. Unless you are a seasoned driver and would proactively turn on your fog lamps while driving during wee hours or foggy or rainy conditions, the chances are that if you are being tailed by such vehicles their lights (or DRLs) on, you will spot them in your mirror way before than a car without lights during the day.

Second example is when driving on curvy roads full of trees and a lot of shade and when you confront them while your eyes are getting adjusted to the hide and seek, you might spot them late. In such cases, DRLs do a fantastic job of alerting the presence of an oncoming vehicle. This is the same case even when you are driving a dark colored car.

While one may argue that we never had a need for such DRLs in the past and still managed to drive, I am of the opinion that they certainly help us a lot, including the rear fog lamps too.

At least, DRLs certainly help drivers from the idiots who forget to turn on their pilot lamps and keep driving under low lighting and visibility conditions.